Portable fluid operated lifting jack



Sept. 16, 1952 Filed March 5, 1948 V. P. GRIER PORTABLE FLUID OPERATED LIFTING JACK 2 sl-lEETs sl-lEET 1 Fig.2.

Ver/ee F. Grier INVENTOR.

p 1952 v. P. GRIER PORTABLE FLUID OPERATED LIFTING JACK 2 SHEETS-SI-IEET 2 Filed March 3, 1948 K 1 0 1 liil mvflfl/llllllllffllll n' Q I MN I M .-u .3mm m R u g d w INVEN TOR.

Patented Sept. 16, 1 952 UNITED- STATES, PATENT, I v .o 2',61c,$z4. v I

Vz'erlee. If: Grier, Belmontlmflr, assiznorof onefourthztozllenry G. StewalBelmonL-N. 0.

Application March 3, 1948, Serial lio. 12;732

' improvements in jacks and' more particularly to a portable fluid'jack for use as" a-='llft-: for heavy 3.0.laimsL (Cl. 254-93) object'swherever asupply ofcompressedB-airis available. l

important object of theinventionis to provide a plurality of superposed inflatable bags havinginterconnecting fluid passages at their opposed surfaces whereby compressed air supplied to one of the bags will simultaneously inflate all of the bags and providing a platform on the top of the uppermost, bag on which an object to be lifted is supported for, raising andlowering movement during inflation and deflation 'ofthe, bags. A further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of infiatable-bags-of rectangular or simi lar shape to provide parallel side edges and enclosing the side edges of the bags in, arigid frame connected to a lazy tong structureinwhich the bags, are positioned as a :means of, holding the bags against lateral tilting'or shiftin movement, a A further object ofthe invention isto provide a 'deviceof this character orsiinple andpractical construction, which is strong and durable, efii-- cient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the other 'polygonal' shape having'paral'lel sideredges and endedges, the end edges-of the bag-"shownat B beinginserted in channel shaped' bars l and suitably sealed "therein to seal the 'end'swof the bag c v 1 o A pair' ofbars 8 also extend along the side edges of the bag with their ends secured 1 in the channel bars"! adjacent the end 'portlonsthereof by bolts or'the like 9 to -thus provide a frame for the marginal edges of the bag.

A plurality of the bags 5 are secured each other in superposed relation by nipples Hlhavingflanged'rubber sealing washers-I I threaded on each end of the nipples and positioned-"in openings [2 of the-adjacent upper and lower'surfaces-of the superposed bags.

Thebottom of the: lowermost bag; isprovided with an inlet nipple l3 threaded in'the-top of a base plate I4 and communicating with afla teral O passage I 5therein and to the outer end of-which details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the bags inflated to raise the jack;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a side elevation'al view showing the jack in collapse or lowered position;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on a line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the inflatable bags; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view through one of the nipples connecting the bags to each other.

Referring now to in for the purpose of closed a preferred embodiment of invention, the numeral 5 designates an inflatable bag generally and which is constructed of a section of fiat tubthe drawings in detail whereing of rubber or other suitable heavy material illustration I have disan air hose-couplingl Gis secured, The uppersur-fa-ce of the uppermost-bag'i-"is secured 'to' the underside of aplatiorm' Ii'I-by means-of a bolt-or the like I 8 tosupportthe platform on top of thebags;

The base l4 and platform I! are connected to each other at their side edges by lazy tong devices I-9 composed of cross links 20 pivotally connected at their ends to each other and also pivotally connected intermediate their ends by rivets, pins or the like 2| in the usual manner. The lowermost link 22 of each lazy tong device is pivoted to the base l4 by a fixed pin 23 and having the lower end of its companion link 24 provided with a pin 25 slidable in a longitudinal slot 26 at the adjacent side edge of the 'base. A nut 21 is threaded on pin 25 for engagement by a wrench or tool 28 to tighten the nut against the side of the base to hold the lazy tongs in a raised position.

Likewise, the free end of one of the upper links 29 is pivoted to the platform I! by a fixed pin 31) and the free end of its companion link 3| is provided with a pin 32 working in a, slot 33 in the side of the platform.

The central portion of the bars 8 at the side edges of the bags are formed with openings 34 in which the center pins 2| of the lazy tong devices are received to provide a rigid connection for the opposite side edges of the bags with each rectangular shaped frame 35-having its side edges also connected to the center lazy tong pins 2| the frame 35 bracing the structure against lateral tilting of the lazy tongs or lateral shifting movement of the bags. Any desired number of the frames 35 may be provided depending upon the number of inflatable bags used in the construc- 5 tion of the jack.

Each lazy tong is also provided with a cylinder 36 having a pair of pistons 31 and 38 working therein and between which a coil spring 39 is positioned. Piston rods 40 extend outwardly from the opposite ends of the cylinder and are pivotally attached to a pair of the pins connecting the ends oflinksill. e

In the operation of the device the inflatable bags are normally collapsed by springs 39 which spread the pins at the ends of links outwardly to cause a lowering of the lazy; tongs I9. I I

The bags 5 and lazy tongs l9 are collapsed into a compact form as shown in Figure 3.

The jack is raised by attaching hose coupling 20 to a supply of compressed air which simultaneously inflates all of the bags 5 to thus raise platform H and which at the Same time, raises the lazy tongs to lift an object placed on the platform.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art.

A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same ,is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as newis:

l. A jack comprising a plurality of rectangular- 40 shaped superposed inflatable bags having communicating air passages, a base supporting the bottom of the bags, a platform on top of the bags,

a rigid frame enclosing the edges of each bag, a

lazy tong device at opposite sides of the bags and connecting the platform to the base, means connecting the frames to the lazy tongs, and means for supplying compressed air to the bags.

2. A jack comprising a plurality of superposed inflatable bags having communicating air passages, a base supporting the bottom of the :bags, a platform on top of the bags, each of said bags being constructed of a flat rectangular-shaped expansible body, a rigid frame surrounding the sides and ends of each bag and including a pair of channel frame members having the ends of the bag sealed therein, a pair of lazy tong devices at the sides of the bags and connected to the sides of the frames, and means for supplying compressed air to the bags.

3. A jack comprising a plurality of superposed inflatable bags having communicating air passages, a base supporting the bottom of the bags, aplatform on top of the bags, each of said bags being constructed of a fiat rectangular-shaped expansible body, -a rigid frame surrounding the sides and ends of each bag and including a pair of channel frame members having the ends of the bag'sealed therein, a pair of lazy tong devices at the sides of the bags and connected to the sides .of the frames, a rigid horizontal frame surrounding the :bags and lazy tongs and connected thereto, and means for supplying compressed air to the bags.

VERLEE P. GRIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,909,890 Phillips May 16; 1933 2,001,744 Patterson May 21, 1935 2,070,960 Phillips Feb. 16', 1937 2,081,248 Murphy May 25, 1937 2,328,970 Farquhar Sept. '7, 1943 2,359,676 Raney Oct. 3, 1944 2,387,486 Zellos Oct. 23, 1945 

